The physical oil crisis versus the perceived Oil Crisis

U.S. fury at BP stirs backlash among British

To read full news article click "U.S fury" above

The Oil Spill is real and the worst environmental Crisis the U.S. has ever faced. Whereas the British consider BP as their most important retirement fund investment in Britain. So when the stock value of BP fell 50 percent recently, many Britons panicked because there is no real way for them to replace this investment as there is nothing else that has been as steadfastly lucrative BP as a stock long term for Britons to invest in long term. So even though they might feel sympathy for the U.S. and the terrible troubles the spill is causing they must in order for most retirement funds to survive in Britain defend BP. So any talk of Bankruptcy or being broken up into pieces to be sold to another oil company is freaking out investors in Britain.

Another way to think about all this is that if BP actually is broken up and sold likely all liability of BP for anything will be gone with the breakup sale and no money will be paid by BP to anyone else because BP won't exist anymore to be liable for anything.

So, all this is a slippery slope for everyone. Too much political criticism will end not only BP but any real liability claims against BP because BP will have died as a company and be no more, much like Union Carbide in  the Bhopal, India disaster where though some executives have gone to jail but almost no money has been paid for all the deaths and maimings in that ecological disaster.